Is my ABS working?

[Sooty09]

Is my ABS working? I have just cut short my weekend away to Reeth (Traveling in an 06 Seat Ibiza) because of the thick snow. The Redmire road I needed to take was closed due to very thick snow and ice, despite the sign one local told me we would be OK up to the Youth Hostel at Grinton Lodge. Far from it, just 500yds short of our destination we were stuck. I managed to turn round and head back to Reeth, when I lightly touched the brakes I felt the usual hammering of the brake pedal but no attempt to slow the car down, we started to speed up out of control. I managed to slow the car pulsing only the hand brake and got us down onto the main road. It had a good 4" covering in 60 minutes and was starting to drift. The rest of the journey was uneventful until a big Audi became stuck on a slight hill, the car was undrivable with lots of torque and big wide tyres, however every time the driver applied the throttle the traction control shut the engine down.
Im not new to driving, having been a rep for 10 years, but I never expected these new car electronics to be such a hindrance in snow, no wonder the Tunnel could not cope either.

 

[Mr K]

ABS prevents wheels locking.
Traction control prevents them spinning.

If there's little or no grip your fecked.

Does your car not have a snow setting?

 

[Micky]

Well that's the trouble with ABS ... when it comes in you aint got no braking

 

[Deleted account 190920001]

Well that's the trouble with ABS ... when it comes in you aint got no braking

Yep if the wheels instantly lock you end up with no brakes, not that you had any anyway if its that slippy. ABS/Traction control is only any use on dry or wet conditions on ice its completely useless.

 

[Myke Rocks]

Traction Control

In my yard I have a High performance car: a Smart for2 800cc diesel! 35bhp (claimed)
With full stability package.
If one driven wheel is stopped on grass + slight slope, abandon car.
There is no way of getting it off the grass without a towrope.
3 years I pulled onto the verge & parked at a job I was working on in above conditions. Took 30 minutes to get me off the verge.
Every time a driven wheel spins slightly, the throttle cuts out. No means of disabling the system, even temporarily.
Any normal vehicle will move off with a little wheelspin.
Tried it on ice in my yard. Even worse!
Myke

 

[Funners]

a lot of ABS systems don't operate under 5mph for this reason, not much cop mind if you are travelling faster than that and need to stop !

 

[CaptainSlow]

Got mine going in the Citroen Berlingo 1.6 HDI this morning, on a slope to a give way line. Lots of grumbling noises from the wheels and not much stopping

 

[elevensies]

schoolboy error im afraid

you should have engaged snow mode, every vehicle has one

you should know how, you have been a rep driving for 10 years.

 

[Deleted account Cooperman]

Is my ABS working? I have just cut short my weekend away to Reeth (Traveling in an 06 Seat Ibiza) because of the thick snow.

You were lucky!! Reeth is only about 10 miles from Tan Hill where the new year revellers were snowed in for 3 days